Number of children under 6 years old and not yet enrolled in kindergarten, percentage in center-based programs, average weekly hours in nonparental care, and percentage in various types of primary care arrangements, by selected child and family characteristics: 2005

Selected child and family characteristic

Number of children, ages 0 to 5 (in thousands)

Percent in center-based programs

Average hours per week in nonparental care1

Percentage distribution, by type of primary care arrangement

Parental care only

Nonparental care

Center-based care

Nonrelative care

Relative

Multiple arrange-ments2

Head Start

Other center-based

Family child care (in another home)

Sitter (in child's home)

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

Total preschool children

20,665

(9.0)

36.1

(0.60)

29.3

(0.37)

39.8

(0.76)

5.1

(0.40)

27.3

(0.49)

8.3

(0.39)

2.3

(0.24)

15.4

(0.66)

1.7

(0.18)

Age

Under 1 year

3,519

(#)

12.0

(1.13)

30.9

(0.95)

57.7

(1.81)

1.2

(0.57)

10.0

(1.07)

9.2

(0.90)

3.2

(0.60)

17.2

(1.42)

1.5

(0.47)

1 year old

3,988

(#)

16.9

(1.34)

31.2

(0.81)

48.5

(1.89)

0.7

(0.25)

15.0

(1.32)

11.1

(1.09)

3.4

(0.57)

19.1

(1.52)

2.2

(0.50)

2 years old

4,093

(#)

28.7

(1.84)

29.6

(0.75)

44.9

(1.97)

3.5

(0.98)

22.7

(1.66)

10.7

(1.13)

2.4

(0.49)

14.3

(1.17)

1.5

(0.38)

3 years old

4,070

(93.0)

42.5

(1.67)

28.9

(0.64)

34.0

(1.46)

5.3

(0.75)

33.2

(1.64)

7.6

(0.91)

1.7

(0.38)

16.7

(1.35)

1.5

(0.36)

4 years old

3,873

(92.0)

69.2

(1.36)

27.9

(0.67)

20.9

(1.44)

13.2

(1.12)

48.2

(1.29)

4.0

(0.73)

1.2

(0.50)

10.4

(1.29)

2.2

(0.44)

5 years old

1,123

(67.3)

68.7

(3.51)

26.9

(1.28)

21.1

(3.17)

10.4

(2.22)

48.4

(3.33)

4.6

(1.44)

0.8

(0.44)

13.6

(2.91)

1.1

(0.79)

Race/ethnicity

White

11,488

(99.2)

37.8

(0.87)

27.1

(0.48)

37.7

(0.97)

2.8

(0.35)

30.4

(0.82)

10.1

(0.59)

3.1

(0.35)

14.1

(0.82)

1.8

(0.26)

Black

2,962

(5.2)

43.8

(2.44)

35.9

(0.85)

30.8

(2.67)

13.3

(2.10)

28.8

(2.32)

6.6

(1.05)

1.0

(0.54)

17.8

(2.76)

1.7

(0.57)

Hispanic

4,283

(4.1)

25.2

(1.28)

28.8

(0.76)

50.9

(1.43)

6.2

(0.76)

16.8

(1.01)

6.4

(0.80)

1.5

(0.32)

16.7

(0.96)

1.4

(0.35)

Other

1,933

(100.2)

37.9

(2.72)

31.8

(0.91)

41.5

(2.80)

3.8

(0.94)

29.6

(2.43)

4.8

(0.76)

1.3

(0.35)

17.1

(2.03)

1.9

(0.68)

Number of parents in the household3

Two parents

16,275

(114.0)

34.4

(0.70)

27.0

(0.42)

43.3

(0.90)

3.4

(0.33)

27.7

(0.58)

8.6

(0.44)

2.4

(0.24)

12.9

(0.66)

1.7

(0.20)

One parent

4,055

(112.6)

42.2

(1.94)

35.1

(0.77)

26.1

(1.68)

11.1

(1.42)

26.3

(1.61)

7.8

(1.06)

1.6

(0.54)

25.3

(2.28)

1.8

(0.41)

Mother in household

Yes

19,982

(65.8)

35.7

(0.59)

28.9

(0.38)

40.1

(0.78)

4.9

(0.42)

27.3

(0.47)

8.5

(0.40)

2.3

(0.23)

15.2

(0.67)

1.7

(0.18)

No

683

(63.8)

45.2

(4.17)

38.5

(1.87)

30.9

(3.95)

9.9

(2.44)

27.4

(3.62)

3.5

(1.26)

2.9

(1.76)

22.5

(3.75)

3.0

(1.38)

Mother's employment status4

Currently employed

11,328

(197.3)

43.8

(0.81)

32.3

(0.40)

20.9

(0.97)

5.4

(0.64)

33.1

(0.81)

13.7

(0.68)

3.0

(0.32)

21.4

(0.92)

2.4

(0.29)

35 or more hours/week

7,038

(185.0)

47.5

(1.15)

37.1

(0.42)

14.9

(1.06)

5.7

(0.72)

36.3

(1.14)

16.6

(0.89)

2.4

(0.32)

22.0

(1.28)

2.1

(0.35)

Less than 35 hours/week

4,290

(156.5)

37.7

(1.52)

22.7

(0.64)

30.8

(2.00)

5.1

(0.99)

27.9

(1.43)

8.9

(0.99)

3.9

(0.64)

20.5

(1.38)

2.9

(0.49)

Looking for work

1,416

(118.3)

22.6

(2.91)

26.0

(1.46)

55.0

(4.48)

4.9

(1.11)

17.1

(2.66)

3.7

(1.03)

1.8

(1.29)

16.7

(5.17)

0.9

(0.65)

Not in labor force

7,238

(173.7)

25.7

(1.03)

16.7

(0.69)

67.3

(1.13)

4.2

(0.50)

20.2

(0.91)

1.3

(0.26)

1.2

(0.22)

5.2

(0.61)

0.7

(0.19)

Mother's highest education4

Less than high school

1,961

(99.4)

18.1

(1.58)

26.0

(1.58)

64.8

(2.31)

9.9

(1.33)

8.0

(1.03)

4.0

(0.89)

#

(†)

12.2

(1.70)

1.0

(0.45)

High school/GED

5,590

(182.6)

30.3

(1.49)

29.2

(0.73)

45.4

(1.77)

8.0

(0.96)

20.0

(1.25)

6.3

(0.73)

1.2

(0.42)

17.3

(1.32)

1.8

(0.39)

Vocational/technical or some college

4,122

(145.7)

34.3

(1.80)

30.1

(1.02)

39.8

(2.17)

4.5

(0.68)

26.3

(1.59)

7.9

(0.94)

1.3

(0.42)

18.5

(1.76)

1.8

(0.47)

Associate's degree

1,466

(78.9)

37.1

(2.76)

28.2

(1.04)

31.6

(2.90)

3.5

(1.22)

29.9

(2.48)

15.5

(1.96)

1.4

(0.56)

16.6

(2.27)

1.5

(0.62)

Bachelor's degree

4,593

(123.1)

45.2

(1.55)

27.9

(0.63)

33.2

(1.33)

1.9

(0.57)

38.2

(1.39)

9.9

(0.86)

3.6

(0.58)

11.5

(1.01)

1.8

(0.37)

Graduate/professional degree

2,250

(121.2)

47.1

(1.80)

30.0

(0.75)

25.7

(1.89)

1.2

(0.41)

40.3

(1.75)

11.6

(1.62)

6.5

(0.99)

13.0

(1.69)

1.7

(0.47)

Mother's home language4

English

16,778

(117.0)

38.1

(0.63)

29.1

(0.41)

36.7

(0.86)

4.5

(0.49)

29.5

(0.53)

9.1

(0.44)

2.5

(0.26)

15.9

(0.77)

1.8

(0.21)

Non-English

3,205

(103.3)

23.5

(1.61)

26.9

(0.97)

57.9

(1.76)

7.1

(1.02)

15.9

(1.25)

5.5

(0.82)

1.0

(0.26)

11.5

(0.99)

1.0

(0.31)

Mother's age at first birth4

Less than 18

1,744

(117.6)

27.7

(2.84)

32.8

(1.40)

50.3

(3.11)

10.4

(1.81)

15.4

(2.31)

4.8

(1.03)

2.0

(1.27)

15.9

(1.91)

1.1

(0.53)

18 or 19

2,529

(135.1)

28.4

(2.14)

30.6

(1.13)

46.6

(2.81)

7.6

(1.23)

17.6

(1.90)

7.1

(1.33)

0.9

(0.34)

19.4

(2.80)

0.8

(0.34)

20 or older

15,709

(140.0)

37.8

(0.68)

28.3

(0.43)

37.9

(0.74)

3.9

(0.43)

30.2

(0.65)

9.1

(0.46)

2.5

(0.24)

14.4

(0.70)

1.9

(0.21)

Household income

$15,000 or less

3,142

(79.3)

29.7

(2.19)

31.4

(1.11)

48.2

(2.35)

11.0

(1.61)

16.6

(1.80)

4.7

(0.90)

1.7

(0.67)

16.9

(2.31)

0.9

(0.35)

$15,001 to $25,000

2,770

(79.2)

29.0

(2.53)

31.0

(1.16)

48.9

(2.44)

8.5

(1.02)

19.2

(2.18)

4.5

(0.70)

1.5

(0.63)

15.9

(1.68)

1.5

(0.57)

$25,001 to $35,000

2,313

(94.5)

30.8

(2.06)

28.7

(1.01)

44.2

(2.22)

9.0

(1.52)

19.1

(1.89)

6.7

(1.39)

0.7

(0.31)

18.4

(1.99)

1.9

(0.52)

$35,001 to $50,000

2,943

(111.8)

28.3

(1.83)

29.5

(1.03)

48.5

(2.41)

4.2

(0.91)

21.2

(1.60)

6.7

(0.97)

0.8

(0.29)

16.7

(1.51)

2.0

(0.58)

More than $50,000

9,498

(112.8)

43.9

(0.95)

28.4

(0.42)

30.6

(1.03)

1.5

(0.27)

37.1

(0.88)

11.5

(0.71)

3.6

(0.38)

13.7

(0.84)

1.9

(0.26)

Poverty status5

Above poverty threshold

15,900

(60.9)

38.4

(0.77)

29.0

(0.37)

36.6

(0.87)

3.5

(0.36)

30.6

(0.65)

9.6

(0.51)

2.5

(0.24)

15.3

(0.72)

1.9

(0.22)

At or below poverty threshold

4,766

(60.7)

28.3

(1.80)

30.2

(0.96)

50.5

(1.93)

10.4

(1.15)

16.4

(1.51)

3.9

(0.63)

1.7

(0.54)

15.9

(1.75)

1.1

(0.29)

Household size

2 or 3 persons

5,469

(137.6)

38.2

(1.48)

32.5

(0.57)

30.6

(1.27)

5.9

(0.90)

28.9

(1.36)

11.6

(0.94)

2.2

(0.39)

18.5

(1.07)

2.2

(0.41)

4 persons

7,723

(172.4)

39.5

(1.17)

28.4

(0.56)

38.1

(1.26)

4.2

(0.56)

31.9

(0.95)

8.7

(0.65)

2.3

(0.35)

13.3

(1.14)

1.7

(0.33)

5 persons

4,279

(165.9)

34.0

(1.85)

26.8

(0.85)

44.3

(2.14)

5.6

(0.84)

24.2

(1.65)

7.2

(1.01)

3.1

(0.69)

14.4

(1.28)

1.2

(0.31)

6 or more persons

3,194

(138.4)

26.8

(1.90)

27.6

(0.95)

53.7

(2.36)

5.4

(0.90)

17.7

(1.70)

3.3

(0.62)

1.4

(0.35)

16.7

(2.53)

1.8

(0.41)

Urbanicity

Rural

4,328

(5.4)

32.5

(1.93)

29.7

(0.91)

37.5

(2.00)

5.8

(0.82)

22.5

(1.78)

10.6

(1.04)

1.4

(0.58)

20.0

(1.68)

2.2

(0.48)

Urban

16,337

(7.5)

37.0

(0.58)

29.1

(0.37)

40.4

(0.88)

4.9

(0.43)

28.6

(0.54)

7.7

(0.44)

2.5

(0.27)

14.2

(0.70)

1.6

(0.18)

†Not applicable.

#Rounds to zero.

1 Mean hours per week per child, among preschool children enrolled in any type of nonparental care arrangement. For children with more than one arrangement, the hours of each weekly arrangement were summed to calculate the total amount of time in child care per week.

2 Children who spend equal hours per week in multiple nonparental care arrangements.

3 Excludes children living apart from their parents.

4 Excludes children living in households with no mother or female guardian present.

5 Poverty status was determined by household income and number of persons in household.

NOTE: A child's "primary arrangement" was defined as the regular nonparental care arrangement or early childhood education program in which the child spent the most time per week. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Standard errors appear in parentheses.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Early Childhood Program Participation Survey of the National Household Education Surveys Program (ECPP-NHES:2005). (This table was prepared October 2006.)